


I'm trying to trick myself (to fall asleep again)

by stardustachilles



Series: Acosmist (one who believes nothing exists) [7]
Category: Dysprosium
Genre: Alex can sing apparently, Alex is 24, F/F, Nightmares, Sara is 17, that's basically it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-26 19:00:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9916541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardustachilles/pseuds/stardustachilles
Summary: Sara has a nightmare. Alex sings her to sleep.





	

Sara woke up in a cold sweat, and she couldn’t remember why.

She bolted up in bed, momentarily disoriented. This wasn’t her blanket. This wasn’t her bed. This wasn’t her room. This wasn’t her house. There was a body in bed beside her.

She was at Alex’s. Alex was beside her. This was Alex’s room. This was Alex’s bed. This was Alex’s blanket. Everything smelled like Alex, and that made it a little easier to breathe. Sara looked around the room, at the moonlight streaming in the floor-to-ceiling windows and the small vase of flowers that Alex had let Sara leave on her desk. Just like the rest of the plants around the house, Sara had left it there for Alex to take care of, because Sara’s parents thought she had too many plants in her room. Sara’s entire windowsill was covered in succulents. Maybe she did have too many.

Alex stirred beside her, pushing herself up onto an elbow. She had turned toward the wall in the night, because she wasn’t used to sleeping with someone else in her bed. Sara had pressed their backs together and curled her arms under her pillow. She remembered falling asleep that way. She didn’t remember what she had dreamt.

Only that it had been terrible, and it had made Sara upset. She had the feeling that you got when you had been crying in your dream, and maybe crying in real life, but you couldn’t be sure. She didn’t like that feeling. Her face felt puffy and her eyes felt wet, but she wasn’t sure if she had cried. Upon further examination, she discovered her pillow wasn’t wet, so she probably hadn’t cried outside of the dream.

Alex blinked sleepily up at Sara. “What’re you doing up?” she asked, voice thick and rough. Sara could see her bare shoulders flex in the moonlight. Sara knew she wasn’t entirely awake. Sara wasn’t sure she’d be able to get back to sleep tonight.

Alex pushed herself up all the way and crossed her legs, her go-to sitting position. She often complained about her hips being sore after a long day of work. James made fun of her for it, but offered to get her painkillers. Sara massaged her hips. (Alex liked Sara’s idea better.)

“Sara,” Alex said, opening her arms. It was an offer, and Sara took it. Alex propped herself up against her wall and splayed her knees, and Sara crawled over and rested her head on Alex’s chest. She tucked her legs underneath one of Alex’s, and twisted her torso so their stomachs were pressed together. One of her hands went around Alex’s waist, and the other rested on Alex’s muscular shoulder. “What’s up?”

“Dunno,” Sara mumbled. She was looking out the window above the headboard The tree outside was rustling in the breeze. Alex was warm beneath her, because she generated more heat than anyone Sara had even known. Sara nuzzled her nose into Alex’s tank top.

Alex held Sara around her back, and rubbed her other hand over Sara’s hair. She pressed a kiss to the top of Sara’s head. “It’s okay,” Alex said. “I got you. You’re safe.” She rocked back and forth slightly, cradling Sara to her chest.

“I think I had a nightmare,” Sara said. “But I can’t remember it. Maybe I will later.”

Alex pressed another kiss to her brow. “You don’t have to remember it,” she said. “Sometimes it’s better not to.”

They sat like that for a long time, and Alex started humming after a while, something soft and melodic. Maybe in another language. Alex knew a lot of songs in German. After another while, of Sara avoiding the clock with her gaze and burying her nose in Alex’s neck, Alex started singing. It was in German. Sara didn’t understand, but it was nice nonetheless. Alex had an amazing voice, and though she didn’t sing often, it was putting Sara back to sleep.

Alex was still rocking back and forth when Sara drifted off, pillowed on Alex’s torso. She didn’t dream.

 

Sara woke up absolutely encased in warmth. She took a moment to take in her surroundings. She was at Alex’s. She was under Alex’s blanket. Alex was on top of her.

Alex was on top of her. Her leg was over both of Sara’s. Her hip was resting against Sara’s. Her arm was over Sara’s back. She could feel Alex’s breath on her cheek. Somehow it smelled like mint. (Vaguely, Sara mused that Alex may have gotten up and brushed her teeth already, and if she did that she’d probably already had a shower and gone on her run. Or maybe she just chewed a piece of gum.)

Either way, Alex was awake, because with a glance at the clock it was already nine, and that was late for Alex. She shifted minutely against Sara. She worked her jaw a little bit. That meant she was probably chewing gum.

Sara lifted herself up a little bit so she was facing Alex. Alex was already wide awake, blue eyes staring at Sara. Her hair was damp, which meant she had already showered and gone on her run and probably had breakfast this morning. Sara didn’t eat breakfast, but she let Alex bring it to her in bed.

“Good morning,” Alex said, no hint of sleep in her voice. Her breath was a minty cloud on Sara’s face. Sara knew she must have terrible morning breath, so she didn’t talk. She bumped her nose against Alex’s in response.

“Breakfast is downstairs. Fruit and milk, if you want it,” Alex offered. Sara shook her head and wedged herself farther under Alex. Alex huffed amusedly and let her, holding herself up over Sara so she wouldn’t crush her. She had a solid twenty pounds of pure muscle on Sara, so Sara appreciated it. Alex balanced herself on one arm and slid her hand down over Sara’s ribs, pushing Sara into the bed. They were still under the blanket.

Sara wrapped a leg around Alex’s hips. Alex lowered herself slightly at Sara’s silent request. She still refused to rest her entire weight on Sara though. Sara wrapped her arms around Alex’s neck and nuzzled her face into the juncture of her neck and shoulder, her self-proclaimed safe spot. Alex pressed a kiss to the shell of her ear.

“I think I remember what my dream was about,” Sara said, surprising even herself. She hadn’t even remembered that she had woken up from a nightmare last night until now.

“Do you want to tell me?” Alex asked. She didn’t make Sara look at her, or move at all, which Sara appreciated. Sara shrugged, and wrapped her other leg around Alex’s waist, too.

“I don’t remember specifics,” she said. “Just that I was crying. I think you were leaving. I think you were leaving me. I don’t know. You had a suitcase.”

Alex rolled them so Sara was lying on her chest and she didn’t have to worry about crushing her. She didn’t say anything, and Sara re-buried her nose in Alex’s neck. “You don’t have to worry about that,” Alex reassured. “I’m not leaving until you’re ready to get rid of me.”

Into Alex’s neck, Sara mumbled, “Well that’s gonna be never, so you’re just gonna have to deal with it.” Alex laughed, quietly, and hugged Sara tighter.

“I think I can live with that,” she whispered. “Now about breakfast.”


End file.
